Cigarette package



Oct. 31, 1933. C; Ry RUEGER E' AL 1,932,753

C IGARETTE PACKAGE Filed Aug. 6, 1952 A TORNEY Patented Oct. 31, 1933 CIGARETTE PACKAGE Clarence R. Rueger and Charles V.l Bueger,

Seattle, Wash.

` Application August 6,1932.. Serial No. 627,688

2 Claims. 4(Cl. 2.06-56) Our invention relates to cigarette packages, and has for its object the provision of means which can be readily incorporated in a cigarette package with little or no change in the standard form thereof, whereby'the cigarettes can be conveniently withdrawn from the package, one by one, whetherrthe package. be full or partly full, and by means of which the cigarettes will be held within the package and will not be liable to spill therefrom after the package has been opened.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which shall be inexpensive in itself, and in the operation of packaging, and which may further serve as an Aindicator of the number of cigarettes remaining in the package.

With these and other lobjects in view, aswill be ascertained hereafter, the invention comprises the novel package for cigarettes or like objects, which are to be withdrawn one by one, as shown in the accompanying drawing, described in this specication, and as will be more particularly pointed out by the claims which terminate the same, togethe'i` with the novel elements entering into such package.

In the accompanying drawing we have shown our invention embodied in illustrative forms in cigarettey packages as now preferred by us.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a typical cigarette package of twenty cigarettes, incorporating our invention. Figure 2 isa similar view with the package partly empty andready for the withdrawal of another cigarette. Figure v3 is a similar View showing the cigarette partly projected from the discharge opening.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the upper portion of a cigarette package, showing the details of the same, and Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of such a package, with the cigarettes arranged loosely, as they might be after a number had been withdrawn.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3 of a modiiied form of package.

Means'have been provided heretofore having for their object the withdrawal of cigarettes from a package, one by one, and the indication of the number of cigarettes remaining in the package, but in such instances, so far as we are aware, these means have not been such as would positively retain the cigarettes in the package, nor such as to positively engage them for withdrawal. According toV our invention we provide a flexible member which may be, for example, but not necessarily, two strips or bands of paper 10 and 11, together forming the nexible strip 1, these bands engaging each cigarette 2, 20 -in the package at opposite sides, and at intervals spaced greater than the normal spacing of the cigarettes in a full package. In other words, there is provided in such a band 1 a section 12 which is of some little length, and which permits movement of the next cigarette to be Withdrawn (the cigarette 2 as shown in the drawing) relative to the other cigarettes 20. The two bands 10 and 11 are joined-together in PATENT ,ol-rlcEg` this section 12, `for instance by an adhesive, to

form loops which encircle or embrace the individual cigarettes. Each cigarette within the Wrapper r3 is embraced withinsuch a loop, Vand with a space 12 between each loop. t

The cigarettes, with the bandi appliedlto them, are placed within the wrapper 3 in the u sual way, or in any other way which may` be found suitable. Automatic wrapping willvnot be disturbed. The excess length comprised within the section 12 is so folded as to liebetween ad jacent cigarettes. `The'whole is enclosed within -the usual Wrapper 3, ordinarily. made of paper, and this may have a slit 31V at' one `vertical edge,

per, to permit the projection of the end of vthe strip 1 to theoutside of the package. However, such packages are sometimes enclosed within a cellophane wrapper, indicated at 30 in Figure l, and the projecting end of the band 1 may be enclosed within this cellophane wrapper. 'Ihus it cannot be accidentally torn oi in handling or in shipping the packages.

When the package is sold this cellophane wrapper can be removed, and the projectingv end of the band 1 can now be reached and pulled. Itis customary to tear anend or corner off one end of the wrapper to provide a discharge opening 32, and the user will do this,

only taking care that the opening is immediately Y above the projecting end of the band 1. To in sure this, it may be desirable to perforate the corner, so that the user will be sure to tear the right corner, or the user may be cautioned to observe where the end of the band projects and to tear this corner.

and upon its withdrawal from the loop in the band which encircled it, the band can be drawn out farther, at this time or later, to move the next cigarette bodily laterally into registry with the discharge opening 32. Further withdrawals aresimilarly made. The order of withdrawal is immaterial, and the band would be so disposed as to facilitate withdrawal without crowding or forcibly pushing aside other cigarettes, hence without danger of injury to the cigarettes or of breaking the band.

If the band is made of paper, this Amay be reasonably stii', and by reason of its stiffness it will so engage the cigarette that the latter, will be positively moved upward when the prfojecting end of the band is moved upward in its slit 31. This tendency will be assisted by the fact that the upward movement of the band will incline it relative to the remainder of the band, and will tend to constrict the loop at opposite sides of the cigarette 2 and at spaced points therealong. The band may, however, be made of other material, for instance, string, and may operate in the manner described. All cigarettes are held by the band within the package until they are intentionally withdrawn. f

It is immaterial where the band engages the cigarettes, that is, at what portion of their length. They may engage in the middle or adjacent one end or theother. Particularly if they engage the cigarettes near one end, the slit 31 may be dispensed with, and the end of the band 1 may be drawn out through the discharge aperture 32, as is seen in Figure 6, The cigarettes now are given a combined lateral and lengthwise movement to withdraw them through the discharge opening made in the wrapper.

The band 1, ii.' made of paper or like material, oirers an opportunity to indicate by numerals, as may be seen in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, the number ofcigarettes remaining in the package, andthe projecting portion of the band, or the most thereof, can be torn 0H after each cigarette is withdrawn to leave projecting only the short end whereon is indicated the number of cigarettes remaining. Advertising matter likewise can be placed upon such a band. v

It is desired to point out that such a band will retain the cigarettes positively within the package. and not permit them to fall out of the delivery opening, yet will positively move them outward through this opening when that is desired, offering no particular obstacle to completing the withdrawal by hand. It is not necessary to secure the band in any way to the wrapper. The band merely encircles the cigarettes, and the excess portion 12 is folded between the cigarettes, whereupon they are wrapped in the usual manner.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A cigarette package or the like, comprising a wrapper.,l in one end of which a discharge opening for single cigarettes may be made, a plurality of cigarettes disposed lengthwise within the wrapper, a continuous flexible member 'operatively engaging each individual cigarette to move the same, said wrapper having a slit extending longitudinally thereof between its ends, of a length greater than the width of said member, one end of said member extending outside the wrapper through 'the slit, and adapted for longitudinal movement, thereby to advance each cigarette in turn to the discharge opening, and by movement of said member lengthwise of the slit to project the cigarette therethrough.

2. A cigarette package comprising a wrapper in which a discharge opening for single cigarettes may be torn in one end, a plurality of cigarettes disposed in lengthwise relation therein, a continuous ilexible tape having loops at spaced intervals to frictionally embrace each individual cigarette, said wrapper having a slit extending longitudinally thereof between its ends, of a length'greater than the width of said tape, one end of said tape extending outside the wrapper through the slit, whereby a longitudinal pull on said tape will move the cigarettes in turn bodily laterally into registry with the discharge opening, and a lateral movement of the tape lengthwise of such slit will advance a cigarette axially partly through such opening.

CLARENCE R. RUEGER. CHARLES V. RUEGER. 

